Cowboys Visit Eagles in Sunday Night Football Clash

So you didn’t think the NFC East would be very good this season? You’re not the only one. 

The division boasts three teams with a record of 4-1 or better, including both of Sunday night’s opponents, the Dallas Cowboys (4-1) and the Philadelphia Eagles (5-0), the only remaining undefeated team. 

It’s been 30 years since these franchises played in the first six weeks of the season, and both had at least three wins. Behind four sacks and three interceptions, the Eagles came out on top in 1992, 37-7.

• Location: Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, PA
• Time: 8:20 p.m. ET | TV: NBC

With Dak Prescott unlikely to play, they will continue to go with Cooper Rush, the fifth undrafted quarterback to win his first five starts in the Super Bowl era. He’s thrown six TD passes to one INT (95.8 rating) in his starts.

With edge rusher Haason Reddick (4.5 sacks) and two of the more active cornerbacks in, Darius Slay and James Bradberry, always around the ball, it would probably behoove the Cowboys to lean on their rushing attack.

Wideout Ceedee Lamb has posted five-plus catches for at least 50 yards in the past four games, while the ‘Boys have a productive two-headed backfield of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. 

• Spread: Cowboys +6.5 (-110) | Eagles -6.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Cowboys (+235) | Eagles (-290)
• Total: OVER 45.5 (-104) | UNDER 45.5 (-118) 

Elliott has gone for 1,317 scrimmage yards in ten games against the Eagles and has posted at least 75 scrimmage yards in his past three, while Pollard has 70+ scrimmage yards in every game this season. Either one can beat you. 

The Eagles can beat you through the air or on the ground, led by dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts. Miles Sanders has 85-plus scrimmage yards in four of his past five at the Linc, and Hurts has 19 rushing touchdowns in 24 games, a record for a quarterback through 25 career games.

The Oklahoma product rushed for two TDs last week, his seventh game with multiple TD runs, the second-most ever by a QB. In his past five home games, Hurts has accounted for 12 TDs (eight passing TDs, four rushing TDs). 

• Eagles ML, Hurts TD, Hurts OVER 47.5 Rush Yards (+317)
• Boys +6.5, Pollard OVER 33.5 Rush Yds, Lamb 50+ Rec Yds (+338)
• Cowboys +6.5, Elliott First TD (+1156)

This has been a breakthrough campaign for Hurts as a passer, due in part to the addition of A.J. Brown, fifth in the NFL with 436 receiving yards, while Dallas Goedert leads all tight ends with 335 receiving yards. Rounding out their Big 3 is DeVonta Smith coming off a career-best ten receptions last week.

Dallas’ front seven is the key to their defense, with linebacker Micah Parsons my favorite defensive player to watch in the NFL. Parsons had two sacks and a forced fumble last week, his sixth game with multiple sacks since 2021, tied with pure edge rushers Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt.

Up front, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is complemented by Dorance Armstrong, a former fourth-round pick, having a breakout season with four sacks in the past four games.

As for that 1992 season, the Cowboys recovered from their loss to the Eagles and won 13 of their next 15 games on their way to a Super Bowl title.